


Where there is love

by seektheinfinite



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 05:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9805271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seektheinfinite/pseuds/seektheinfinite
Summary: Robert has a nightmare, and with Aaron in prison Chas is the one there to comfort him afterwards.





	

“Aaron no, please don’t. Aaron.”

Chas is woken to the sound of shouting, _screaming,_ coming from Robert and Aaron’s room. It’s still dark outside, and a quick glance at the clock confirms that it is too early to be awake.

She waits, lying in the dark to see if the voice will call out again. She hopes that whatever’s plaguing Robert in his sleep will stop, if she just gives him a minute.

“Aaron!” It’s the cry of a desperate and broken man that pulls her from her bed and down the corridor. Pushing open the door to the room she finds Robert, still in the throes of whatever nightmare he’s having.

Her heart aches at the sight of him, laying on Aaron’s side of the bed, wearing one of Aaron’s ratty old t-shirts. He looks so vulnerable like this; it’s a side that he never allows anyone to see when he’s awake.

The rooms a mess of Aaron’s clothes, Robert hasn’t moved anything since he left for prison last month.

She makes her way across the room to the bed, debating what to do for the best. She stands, hand hovering over his shoulder. She wants to comfort him, as she would Aaron if it were him in front of her now, but she’s not sure Robert will appreciate the gesture.

He’s quietened again now, still and Chas thinks that maybe the worst of it is over. She’ll check on him in the morning, and no doubt he’ll say he’s fine. But they’ll both know different.

She’s just about to move, turn around and leave him in peace when she hears the sobbing. He’s not just crying, it’s great hiccupping sobs, yet he’s still asleep. There’s no sign that he’s going to be waking up anytime soon.

Deciding that there’s no way she can leave him in this state, Chas kneels down beside the bed, before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Robert’s a light sleeper, so she’s surprised when her touch has no effect as he continues to sob into the pillow.

She shakes him gently now, calling his name “Robert? Wake up, you’re having a nightmare love.”

She’s knocked backwards by his sudden movement, shooting up from the bed, eyes wide and wild. She doesn’t move, not wanting to startle, his breathing already scarily erratic.

He doesn’t seem to notice her crouched in the dark, too focused on just trying to breathe.

“Robert.” She breaks the silence, worried about how he’ll react to her being in his bedroom.

“Chas?” He questions, confusion evident in his voice. “What...?”

“You were having a nightmare love, a bad one by the sounds of it.” She decides that it’s best to stay where she is for the moment, not wanting to startle his obviously frazzled mind.

“I…” Robert seems to think for a moment, before he continues, “Aaron, he was, he was stabbed, and there was so much blood. Chas it was everywhere. I…”

He’s looking at his hands now, as though expecting to see evidence of Aaron’s spilt blood on them.

Chas is on her feet now, not caring anymore about whether Robert is going to be okay with her touching him in this state. Her motherly instincts are kicking in and she knows that right now the thing that he needs the most is comfort.

“Hey, look at me.” Robert doesn’t respond, too focused on his hands, turning them over and over. “Robert, look at me.” She says more forcefully this time.

He turns red-rimmed eyes towards her, a look of pure despair and vulnerability that hits her like a sledgehammer. She’s seen that look before, many times, but she never thought she would be seeing it from Robert Sugden.

She leans over now, putting her arm around him, pulling him closer. To her surprise, he offers no resistance.

“Aaron is fine, okay. He’s not been stabbed, he’s fine. Everything’s going to be okay. We’re going to get through this, together. We’re all going to be okay.”

She keeps up a steady stream of constant reassurance, not really knowing or caring if what she’s saying is making any sense. It seems to be having an effect on Robert because she can feel him loosening up beneath her touch.

He’s leaning his head on her shoulder now and she can hear his breathing begin to even out. They stay like that for a while until she’s certain that he’s asleep once more. Pulling herself out from underneath him, she does her best to get him back into bed. Not easy when you’re dealing with six foot of dead weight, but then she’s used to lumping beer barrels about so she’s not completely useless.

Finally settling him in, pulling the covers back over, Chas stands just watching him sleep. If anyone walked in right now they’d probably find this weird but to her it’s just what she’d do for her own son when he’d had a nightmare, and that’s just what Robert is now.

Her son.

**Author's Note:**

> Join me on Tumblr @beyondthebridge


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